African Grey Parrots

African Grey parrots are very popular as pets because they are extremely intelligent and can learn to talk and vocally interact with their human flocks. In fact, African Grey parrots are thought to be the best talkers of the parrot species as they often learn hundreds of words! African Greys also like to imitate sounds like microwaves, telephones, running water, and the beeps of trucks backing up.

African Greys are often described as shy birds that bond only to one person. However, if they are well socialized, African Greys will be accepting of more people. These birds require a lot of personal attention and social interaction outside of their cages every day. Due to their intelligence, they also require an environment with a lot of stimulating activities, like toys and foraging devices, to ward off behavioral problems.

There are two main subspecies of African Greys, the Congo Greys and Timneh Greys. Congo Greys are a lighter colored grey, have a bright red tail and black beak. Timnehs are smaller than Congo Greys and are a darker grey with maroon colored tail and a dark horn colored beak. Both subspecies have a featherless patches of white skin around their eyes.

Both subspecies of African Grey parrots are found in West and Central Africa, with Timnehs located in a smaller area, including Liberia and the Ivory Coast region.

The African Greys' habitat is found mainly in the swamps and mangroves of lowland forests in equatorial African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and the Ivory Coast.

In the wild, African Grey parrots live in large flocks of up to several hundred birds that are most often spotted when the flocks fly between foraging and roosting sites. They communicate with each other using high-pitched sounds and whistles.

The African Grey parrots' diet in the wild consists mainly of seeds, nuts, fruits (especially African Oil Palm), berries, and some green leafy matter. They are partial ground feeders and smaller groups of greys fly to the ground at a time while others stand watch in the trees for ground predators.

African Grey parrots mate for life and build their nests in tree holes high above the ground. They typically lay three to five eggs in a clutch, one at a time every two to four days. The female grey incubates the eggs for approximately 30 days while the male guards the nest cavity and gathers food to feed her. Baby greys fledge when they are 12 weeks old and both parents care for them until they reach independence.

The wild population of African Grey parrots is declining primarily because of illegal trapping for the pet trade and loss of habitat. The African Grey parrot is protected by CITES regulations which restrict the trade of wild caught species. Unfortunately, due to the African Greys' popularity as pets, many babies are still being stolen from nests. Sadly, it has been estimate that up to 90% of the trapped birds die before they ever reach the illegal market.

Alex was a famous Congo African Grey parrot. Alex could identify many objects by name, shape and color. He could also count up to six and understood the concepts of "same", "different", "bigger" and "smaller".

N'kisi is another well known Congo African Grey with an amazing vocabulary, a sense of humor and possibly telepathic abilities!

When they feel threatened, African Grey parrots fluff up their feathers to make themselves look larger.